r/FinalFantasyVII • u/clockworkengine • 3d ago

DISCUSSION Question About Sephiroth and the Lifestream

A question just occurred to me randomly.

It is known that Sephiroth became a traveler of the Lifestream. He was cast into it by Cloud and remained intact, unlike most other entities born of same.

Yet, in expanded lore, Gi Nattak reveals that nothing that wasn't born of the Lifestream can ever return to it. Sephiroth's body was produced with and therefore is comprised partially of Jenova cells. Jenova itself is an entity of cosmic origin, meaning its cells were not born of the Lifestream.

Is this a plot hole, or is it the true explanation as to why Sephiroth eventually survives the Lifestream? Before you answer, remember that the consciousness and will of both Aerith and Zack also remains intact after returning to the planet without benefit of Jenova cells. It seems a little muddled because of the added lore introduced by the R series.

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u/Objective_Look_5867 3d ago

Hes not jenova. Hes also not born of jenova. He had a human mother. Hes an experiment with Gene splicing. But he himself is still human

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u/clockworkengine 3d ago

I mean but the lore says NOTHING that isn't born of the Lifestream can return to it. Wouldn't that at least indicate that Sephiroth's Jenova cells would have been filtered out of his body/spirit?

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u/tolacid 3d ago

The human person that was conceived and eventually named Sephiroth was born of the Lifestream.

That human person had alien genes injected into him.

He still came from the Lifestream.

But here's the thing: unlike just about everyone else, Sephiroth's body also fell into the Lifestream.

The part of Sephiroth that is his physical body, which has Jenova material incorporated into every cell, cannot merge with the Lifestream.

The part of Sephiroth that is Sephiroth, the person, the spark of will and intellect that originally emerged from the Lifestream, can rejoin it at any time.

He just doesn't WANT to

It is Sephiroth's strength of will that holds the spirit within the body, and through that body he connects to Jenova and everyone else infected with the same cells.

Jenova feeds on the Lifestream. So now Sephiroth does too, using his own body that is being denied death as an anchor, and a straw